Finally we reach the end – thirty days, no artist repeats, celebrating the best of Canadian rock in the 90s.
Let’s close out 2021 now, shall we?
Day 26 – Sarah McLachlan – Ice Cream
She was one of many acts to perform in the night. It was a CFNY event and I can’t remember the name or the venue for the life of me, but she was backlit with blue lights as she sat on a stool, centre stage, with her guitar.
“Sarah McLachlan,” I told a friend of mine who I knew was also into music.
“Who?” he replied?
Hard to remember a time when she was relatively unknown and up and coming, but I developed a huge crush on her after that first performance I saw. Bought the album the next day.
Chose this song in particular because if there is any day on the calendar that embodies ice cream more than Boxing Day, I don’t think I know it.
Day 27 – Bass is Base – Funkmobile
No particular memory associated with this song, only that it was hella played on MuchMusic back in the day.
The chorus is still catchy AF.
Day 28 – Big Wreck – Blown Wide Open
Sunny days walking around the University Campus, this song seeming to echo from every building. It’s one of those songs with a very specific timestamp in my mind.
Day 29 – Alanis Morissette – You Learn
I was ne of the last to get on the Alanis train, I freely admit it. This album represented such a 180 from her pop career that I had a hard time believing she was legit. The songs are great and I admit this album bangs, but at the time I could not see past my belief that she was just trying to cash in on a popular sound. I don’t think I truly appreciated her until she appeared as God in Dogma, that was when I was, like, okay, she might be cool.
One of the biggest and most popular names I posted about this month, but undoubtedly a huge influence across all rock, not just CanRock, in the 90s and very worthy of a spot.
Day 30
Here we are, and so many bands left to choose from… Leonard Cohen, Cowboy Junkies, Crash Test Dummies, The Odds, See Spot Run, The Inbreds, Wild Strawberries, By Divine Right, Philosopher Kings, Rheostatics, Barstool Prophets (my favourite band name ever)… hell, I could even post one of the four songs I like from the Hip…
So, who is it going to be?
I saved one of my favourite music memories for the end.
Spirit Of The West – Home For A Rest
While not my favourite song from the band (that would be “Political”, released in ’88, so not applicable for this calendar), there is no denying the impact this song has had and how many Canadians identify with it. I’ve been in Memphis, Thailand, Japan, South Africa and Australia and when this song comes on, Canadians hit the dance floor.
But my favourite memory is this one: I’m 18 and standing outside in line to get into the bar My Apartment on Thursday night. No fake ID and this was before every bar ID’d everyone, so I was trying to get in based on my looks and attitude alone, something I had recently “perfected” at the beer store.
I’d never been into a bar before that was not for an all ages concert.
The bouncer doesn’t even give me a second look and we enter. The door swings open and the first thing I see is a bar and people are dancing on top of it, to this song.
It’s the new year and celebrating a different 90s CanRock song every day is SO 2021, but I haven’t finished the recaps yet so still a couple more posts to come.
What I love though is that the exercise inspired me to choose a song of the day every day to reflect on – 21 days to create a habit and that sort of thing. You can catch the songs of the day on my Twitter feed.
Now, let’s get to finishing last year’s project.
Day 21 – Bif Naked – Lucky
Call The Office, sometime around 1998, my then girlfriend and I saw Bif Naked play this song. It was already sort of our song when it played at the pool hall we went to for our first date and we had our first kiss.
This brings me back to all the good times we had in our short relationship.
Day 22 – Blue Rodeo – Lost Together
An absolute campfire classic and one that is in heavy rotation for me when the guitar sees any daylight. One of the best CanRock songs of the 90s.
Day 23 – Tristan Psionic – 25 Cents
I’m in a bar in downtown Toronto. I can’t remember which one, but we had to go downstairs to get here. There are a bunch of bands performing and one of them is Tristan Psionic. I honestly can’t remember if they played this song that night, but hearing it again after so long brought me right back, so at the very least it captures the mood and vibe of what was an awesome night out, being underage, in places you shouldn’t be.
Day 24 – Barenaked Ladies – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (with Sarah McLachlan)
This was a natural choice for Christmas Eve and I still remember sitting there, on the floor of the Horseshoe Tavern, for CFNY’s Acoustic Christmas where they performed this. I still can’t believe they got us all to sit on the floor. I can still feel the sticky on my hands, but it was such a great series of performers and such an intimate feeling… one of the best live shows I saw in the 90s.
Day 25 – Rymes With Orange – She Forgot To Laugh
Absolutely no date significance when I posted this on Boxing Day, I simply forgot this song existed as it never made the transition to digital for me and so has not been on any playlists, until now.
It embodies the whole spirit of both the hashtag challenge and this blog, rediscovering the music that has kept the beat to my life.
Day 26 to 30 will be posted later this week and we close out this chapter of the blog and move onto the sounds of the past and of 2022.
The world changed again, almost overnight, during this stretch, but we’ve made it through the holidays and still taking a stroll down nostalgia lane and the music that made me back in the 90s.
Day 16 – The Lowest Of The Low – The Taming Of Carolyn
30 years this album has been around, and I am happy that we caught one of the Low shows this month at Lee’s Palace before everything went to heck again. Wednesday the 15th… cases were creeping up but the show was still on, and it was their most socially distant show they had planned. Seats filled the main floor at Lee’s and we got there early enough to catch a table on the side – as distant as we could be in the environment and my first live show since the pandemic began.
Still processing the night out and the week since… it was an amazing evening and fantastic show where they played the album start to finish, my first time seeing them do so. Then things just… turned so quickly… we were 24 hours outside of not even considering going out to a show again.
I’m glad our crew have all tested negative and we weren’t exposed that night, despite later hearing about people who were at the show having tested positive. I’m honestly just sick of covid pressing muting everything that is supposed to be good. It’s the constant asterisk on everything, with the footnote providing context to every moment, signaling that we are still amidst this global health crisis.
I’m just writing what I’m feeling right now but maybe it’s best to just focus on the music.
The music that night was incredible. My favourite song on this album has always been The Taming Of Carolyn and the band did not disappoint.
Day 17 – Sandbox – Curious
This was a huge hit and the tune still bangs. I also think the video still holds up.
No specific memories attached to this song; it just seemed to be a constant in the background and definitely belongs on the 90s CanRock life soundtrack.
Day 18 – Tegan & Sara – Just Me
Listening to this song again after so much time brings me right back to the Embassy in London where we saw them play. Trish was on my right, Liza on my left and some dude with a light brown leather jacket standing in front of me. I remember the smell of the jacket and of cigarette smoke, because you could smoke at shows back then and I remember the whole crowd just sitting in silent awe as these two performed this song perfectly imperfect.
Day 19 – The Super Friendz – 10 lbs
There’s just something about that 90’s Halifax sound. I hadn’t heard this song in years and rediscovered it this month while letting Siri just run with her algorithm during a long car ride. I love the stripped down feel, the clear as hell vocals… this sits right in the middle between Sloan and Hardship Post and is so 90s CanRock it should be on the soundtrack to any movie made that takes place during that time. It automatically creates a sense of place and time that needs no visuals to support it.
Day 20 – Scratching Post – BloodFlame
It’s been at least 15 years since I’ve heard this song and still sung along to every word the first time I listened to it this month. Saw Scratching Post a number of times during my University days. The age that came after the need for “all ages” was filled with awesome local live music, great friends and nights you wished would never end.
Lower count on the memories with the post today. Like I said, still trying to process the last week. I didn’t want to get too far behind on the list though and besides, it’s always a great distraction to keep adding to that great mixtape that is soundtrack to your life.
I took a bit of time this week to map out the rest of the month and there are so many bands, songs and memories that I could keep doing this right until February without repeating, but thinking I’ll just save some of them and do this again next year.
Day 11 – 54-40 – Crossing A Canyon
Every summer in high school my friends would get their family cottage for a weekend just for us with no parents around and they were always the best times. Fishing, barbecue, hot tub, sauna, drinks, good music and great friends… some amazing memories from those trips.
One summer a friend joined us for the first time and he brought his new girlfriend. Without meaning to and without any agenda on either of our parts, her and I just ended up hitting it off and chatted a bunch during the day. That night we were all into the idea that we should all go into the sauna, then run out to the cold lake and jump in and race back to the sauna where the cycle would repeat. Our friend was passed out but his girlfriend was into the idea and joined in.
In one of the trips to the lake, she and I were talking and decided to stay in the lake when everyone else went into the sauna because the sauna was cramped with all of us in it together, and that then put us on an opposite schedule from everyone else, as we headed to the sauna when they came back out to the lake. We must have done that for an hour, talking, learning about each other, laughing uncontrollably every time we had to steel ourselves up for running back out to the lake.
Nothing happened outside of this obvious flirtation, I would never do that to my friend, nor would she, I’d like to believe, but I remember this being such a magical night and an example of how timing can sometimes be everything when it comes to finding romance.
The next morning, the lake was quiet and as everyone roused themselves and came back to life, we poured caesars and put on some music. I remember sitting down at the dock and our friend and his girlfriend came down to say goodbye, they were heading home earlier than the rest of us who were going to make the most of the day, Sunday traffic be damned.
I remember her giving me a little squeeze as we hugged good bye, hopefully imperceptible to her boyfriend who had not rejoined the party at all after having passed out.
I honestly don’t know if I’m mixing up my memories or not, because I absolutely remember sitting on that dock, content, quiet, with this song playing and echoing across the water, I’m just not sure it was the morning after that amazing night.
I’m choosing to believe that it was.
“I’m no prophet, but I’ve seen things
When right and wrong become too close
In that moment of my greatness
I become afraid and watch it go.”
Day 12 – The Age Of Electric – Remote Control
No specific story or memory associated with this song, although an image of our kitchen in our shitty off-campus apartment after a massive party does come to mind. I can’t even see the sink or counters with how many empties and other party remnants are littered everywhere.
There was no escaping this song for a time and it definitely belongs on any 90s party playlist.
Day 13 – Treble Charger – Red
This song is in the top 10 in the 90s for me… chill and rocking at the same time, everyone knew every word and it was one of the first songs we all learned on guitar, those of us who played.
The soundtrack to those backyard barbecues with Sloan and so many of the other bands I’ve listed already would not be complete without “Red”.
Day 14 – The Watchmen – All Uncovered
The first guy I met in res in Frosh Week wasn’t my roommate but he was two doors down on the same floor. We shook hands heartily, me from Toronto and he was from Ruscom, Ontario. Population 52. He and his immediate family made up over 10 percent of the population.
One of the things I loved most about University was meeting people from everywhere that wasn’t Toronto. I loved hearing about Ruscom and small town life from my new friend.
The main act that night to kick Frosh Week off was The Watchmen and we were both stoked; him because he had never been to any concert before, ever, and me because The Watchmen were playing at my SCHOOL.
I remember so many things about that night, navigating the crowd on the hill, chatting up some girls from the all-girls res, only to be pushed out by some guys from their brother-residence, the loudness of the music, the coldness of the shitty traveler beers we were carrying with us.
This was the next major phase of our lives after high school and we cheersed to new friendships and new adventures.
And The Watchmen absolutely killed it.
This is my favourite Watchmen song.
Day 15 – Great Big Sea – Run Runaway
This is, strangely, a band I’ve never seen live, though I had many chances.
The closest I ever came was at the door to the bar in first year University. The bar typically did not ID everyone, but tonight they were, which made us nervous because one of our friends was just days away from turning 19.
They caught him out at the door and turned him away. The kicker? He was FROM Newfoundland and had even been to one of the weddings of one of the members of the band.
We pleaded our case but it was a firm no. Our friend told us to go on in without him, but in a show of brotherhood and solidarity (with a group who had only known each other a few weeks), we all left and went back to the res, determined to show him a good time.
This turned out to be the moment he had been prepared for because this was when he brought out his bottle of screech for the first time.
While not a proper screeching in, and no cod to kiss, we all became honourary Newfoundlanders that night and had one of the best party nights of the year without going out and it cemented friendships that last until this day.
Pro-tip:
Do not use a full size bowling ball along a carpeted hallway as the friction burns will absolutely destroy the carpet, as we learned that night.
Fast-forward to the end of the school year and the res office is doing floor audits to ensure there is no permanent damage. They see the friction burns from seven months previous and say let us know the whole floor is responsible for the $1500 it will cost to replace the carpet.
Playing right into a stereotype, one of the guys on the floor is Persian and his family owns a rug store. He gets down on his hands and knees to examine the carpet and lets the res office people know we can fix this and to come back in an hour.
He says we all need to get some forks… and we all have cutlery in our rooms lifted from the cafeteria, so we get out the forks and he shows us how we have to carefully use the forks to gently scrape the carpet in the opposite direction of the friction burn to lift the fibres back up.
Here we are, 12 or 13 of us, all on our hands and knees, trying to fix the carpet because it is the end of the school year and NONE of us have any money to pay for the damages, especially since half the floor would have refused to pay because it was our screeched in stupidness that caused this in the first place.
The res office people come back and while we think we’ve done an incredible job, we are all sweating while they examine the rug.
When they give us a thumbs up and let us off the hook, the entire floor cheers, one of the last amazing memories we will all have together as a floor before exams hit and people start leaving res.
Two amazing memories and friendship bonds that last until this day, all because we did NOT go and see Great Big Sea.
The holiday countdown continues and the memories keep coming back with them.
The friends you have when you can first start going out in the city on your own hold a special place in your heart for the rest of your life. The friends who call you up when they see those important two words before any show: “all ages”.
Coming into my musical own in Toronto in the mid 90s introduced me to so many things that went beyond the music… venues, after parties, places in the city I had never been to before.
Life is very good right now, but I find myself thinking the same three words every day when I post my song… “Take me back…”
Day 6 – Headstones – Cubically Contained
I’m a little older for this one and at res in University. We have an unwritten door open policy on the floor, which means your room door should only be closed if you are seriously studying (hardly ever happened) or sleeping.
It’s close to the end of the school year and money is TIGHT. I am even watching the balance on my meal card. But still, we want to go out so getting the cheapest beer we can off campus and drinking in the res will save us those dollar bills needed for the one or two drinks we’ll need at the bar.
I remember sitting around our room, a couple of people on the Sega Genesis, a guitar strumming out in the hall and this song on the radio. No drama, no stress, everyone just ready to have a good time on a Wednesday night.
It seems like such a simple time, looking back, full of simple pleasures.
When did life get so hard?
Day 7 – Weeping Tile – In The Road
On the way to my girlfriend’s family cottage in the Ottawa valley there’s a long road before you hit the dirt entryway and there’s a bend in the road with a huge maple.
This song comes on and I’m hearing it for the first time and it’s so beautiful that I want to hear it again, but don’t have time before we get back to the cottage so I pull over and rewind the tape she’s made for me.
It’s fall and the leaves are changing colour and the maple is a dark, amazing red, and it dominates my view as we sit there, listening to the song again, taking it all in.
Day 8 – Eric’s Trip – Allergic To Love
Another song off that same mixtape and an instant favourite. Quickly learned it and added it to my campfire repertoire on the guitar as well.
Day 9 – Emm Gryner – Acid
I am at a Spirit of the West concert and Emm Gryner is opening for them. I had never heard of her before and, from the reaction she was getting from the drunken crowd, neither had anyone else. They did not come here to see her and they were letting her know it.
Diminutive, with a quiet demeanour, she sat there, playing piano solo on the big stage where SOTW were going to come out with a far bigger sound fairly soon.
She played a couple of tunes and was visibly put off by the comments and calls coming from the crowd.
“Acid” is a song that starts out quietly but has some very strong notes in it later on where she gets the chance to sing with all her heart.
The crowd hated it and continued to call her out, but she pressed through and sang it with such forceful emotion she was able to drown them out.
It is one of the strongest musical performances I have ever seen and I was an instant fan. I bought her album the next day.
Day 10 – The Doughboys – Melt
Crush is a perfect album so it wasn’t a question of if it would make this list, but when and which song.
Not knocking the amazing tune “Shine” (RIP The Wedge on MuchMusic which adopted the song as their theme), but “Melt” has always been my favourite song on the album.
This one takes me back to riding in my friend’s car with his CD/car-adapter on my lap because the holder is broken. I’m holding the whole thing carefully so as not to make the CD skip when we hit the bumps in the road.
The sunroof is open and this song is just blasting as we head out for the night for food, parties and just good summer fun.
